Mariana and the Merchild: A Folk Tale from Chile

A lonely old woman named Mariana, living by herself in a tiny seaside hut, is given a very special gift in this traditional Chilean tale, gracefully retold by Caroline Pitcher, and beautifully illustrated by Jackie Morris. Longing for company, but seemingly unable to befriend the local village children; loving the sea, but fearful of the howling sea-wolves who would emerge during stormy weather, Mariana spent her days alone. Until the morning, that is, that she found a lovely little red-haired merchild washed up on shore, and - with the mother Sea Spirit's permission - became its foster-mother. Mariana loved the merchild more than anything in the world, and took great joy in caring for her, although she knew that one day her charge must show more return to the sea. Would she be more alone than ever, when that day came, or would the coming of the merchild change Mariana's life in a more permanent way...?

Taken from Brenda Hughes' Folk Tales from Chile, this wonderful story addresses so many important themes - childless women, and how they are perceived in society; the elderly, and how they interact with the young; our relationship to the natural world, and how we both depend upon it for our very lives, and are vulnerable to its extremes - in an oblique, rather than didactic fashion. The story itself is quite appealing - who doesn't love the idea of discovering a magical being, and befriending it - and the illustrations are gorgeous! Jackie Morris - whose Tell Me a Dragon is likewise beautiful - has a style that seems ideally suited for fantastic tales. Highly recommended to all young folklore enthusiasts, mermaid lovers, and Jackie Morris fans! show less

In this book, Mariana is a lonely woman who lives by the sea who finds and takes care of a merchild. The merchild attracts the attention of the young people of the town, whom Mariana has always wanted to befriend. Eventually, she has to give the merchild back to her mother in the sea, but they still get to see each other. Even more importantly, she forges friendships with the young people who live near her. This is a wonderful story about loneliness and the importance of friendship and taking care of each other. I love how the illustrations capture traditional Chilean life.

Mariana was a lonely old woman that lived by the sea. She received fish and wood to burn from it; she thought of it as her mother. She also longed for company, but the children would always run away from her. One night, there was a bad storm so she hid out of sight of the sea-wolves that would hide and wait near the village. The next morning, Mariana found a crab, big enough for her to eat from for days, however, when she got home she realized it was a merchild. She took her down to the sea to return her back to her mother, but the sea spirit reassured her that the sea brought the merchild for her. The mechild brought Mariana great happiness and love but she knew the day would come when she would have to leave. That day finally arrived show more and Mariana felt sad and lonely once again. The merchild still visits the old woman everyday and she is no longer lonely as the kids have found friendship in her. This book reminds me of "The Little Mermaid," in which the mermaid must give up her life in the sea in turn for a human soul, however, they are extremely different. The setting of "Mariana and the Merchild" is in Chile showing its beautiful beaches and huts on every page. Also, the people in Chile have dark skin and it is noted how much lighter the Merchild is compared to the others. Sometimes, what we want in life isn't for the best. The Merchild belongs in the sea with her mother, and Mariana has realized that. She is thankful that she has found friendship within her community, and that is something to look forward to in its self. show less

Unfortunately, there's no author's note... this claims to be a traditional folk tale, but without some sort of note or bibliography I'm not convinced.  Still, it's a lovely little tale, and it could be from any culture that know of mer-people.  The art is full of expression and color, but not too busy or scribbly.   Recommended.

A wonderful folktale from Chile about an old woman who finds a merbaby during a storm. She takes care of her to keep her safe from the seas until her mother deems her ready to swim with her.
This is a great read aloud book for younger children, especially mermaid fans! I liked the fact that the old woman who finds the merbaby was originally an outcast in her village and toward the end the village children enjoy her company and let her cook for them. She is no longer alone at the end and she is much happier.
The story is accompanied by beautiful paintings that seem authentic and appropriate for the tale. I really like the colors used in them and the detail of the work.

This picture book is a folktale for children from K-5th grade. It is a Chilean tale about an old woman who lived by the sea. She was lonely, and the village children were afraid of her, she had no friends and she lived a sad life. One night, there was a terrible storm and Mariana hid in her hut from the dangerous winds and ravenous sea wolves. The next morning, she stepped outside, and the storm brought an abundance of fresh fish and shell fish for Mariana to eat. As she was gathering the food, she found a large cab shell. She brought it back to her house, and suddenly the crab shell cracked in two, and inside was a baby mermaid. Mariana was struck by her beauty, and took her into the village to confer with the wise woman for advice. show more Mariana was told to lay the baby down at the shore, and wait for the Sea Spirit to claim their child. Mariana did what she was told, and eventually the mother of the baby mermaid appeared. The mother told Mariana to watch over her baby until the sea is safe enough of her. Mariana was ecstatic that at last she would have a child to love. She raised the baby mermaid, and all of the village children began visiting her hut every day to play with the merchild. However, the day Mariana had to return the merchild back to the sea came, and with a heavey heart she let the child go. She was sad, but the village children comforted her, and Mariana was never alone again.
The central theme of this story is that you will be rewarded for selflessness and doing what is best for others. Though Mariana dreaded returning the merchild back to the sea, she knew it was where she belonged and it wouldn’t be right to keep her from her home. She even contemplated keeping the merchild hidden for herself, but then she thought, “No. The Merchild is from the sea. I must let her return, even though I will be alone gain.” After she did what was best for the merchild, Mariana was rewarded with love and friendship from the village children, and she was no longer alone. show less

A lonely old woman finds a merchild on the beach when she is foraging for food. She takes in the child and loves her like her own. She meets the child's mother, who tells her she needs the old woman to take care of her until it is safe for her to come home. She knows her heart will be broken some day, but raises her anyway. When her mother comes back to take her home, she is heartbroken, but knows it is for the best. The merchild comes back to visit her and all the other people of the village from then on, which brings her together with her community. I think this book can be read from around 2nd grade and above.